1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-metabolic functional material having functions such as a chromic function, a catalytic function, an adsorption function, an ion exchange function, a luminescence function, a wavelength conversion function and the like. The present invention relates particularly to a self-metabolic functional material which can maintain a desired function such as deodorization and the like for a long period of time in a refrigerator, an air cleaner, a toilet and the like, and to an apparatus using the self-metabolic functional material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional functional materials having various functions such as a chromic function, a catalytic function, an adsorption function, an ion exchange function, a luminescence function, a wavelength conversion function and the like gradually lose their functions as they are used over a long period of time. Thus, it has been difficult to provide a functional material with a long life. Particularly, a functional material having a solvatochromic function, a catalytic function, an adsorption function or an ion exchange function exhibits its particular function by the stimulations by molecules existing around the functional material; therefore, it can not be protected easily by using a simple window filter, differently from other types of functional materials which exhibit their functions by a stimulation of an electromagnetic wave such as light and radiation. Accordingly, it has been extremely difficult to use such a functional material for a long period of time since it loses its function soon due to contamination, an undesired reaction and the like. Therefore, in the case such a conventional functional material is used, it has to be exchanged manually or by a complicated exchanging machine after a predetermined period.
As for comparatively long-life functional materials, an iron sulfate-ascorbic acid complex and a porous iron treated with an activator, which have a deodorizing function, are disclosed in "Nikkei Nyu Materiaru (Japanese phonetic character)" (Oct. 14, 1991 issued page 56). A deodorant substance comprising iron phthalocyanine carboxylic acid, as a deodorant material, carried on rayon filament for catalytical deodorization at room temperature is disclosed in "Kagaku (Japanese phonetic character)" (Hitcruse Shirai; Vol. 42, No. 5, page 307, 1987; Kagaku Dojin).
However, none of the above-mentioned materials has both a high deodorizing activity and a long life. In other words, they have a high activity initially, but greatly lose the activity over time. Therefore, it is necessary to exchange the deodorizing material or fiber after predetermined periods.